monochrome

Monochrome, in the visual arts, refers to works created using only one color or varying tones of a single color. This can include drawings made with a single hue, such as pencil sketches, or images produced in shades of gray.12

While the term "monochrome" primarily denotes the use of a single color, the concept extends to how artists manipulate tone and value within that single color to create form, depth, and texture. For instance, in drawing, variations in line thickness and hatching techniques can suggest light and shadow, giving a sense of three-dimensionality even without color. Similarly, in painting, tonal values are crucial for representing volume and space, often developed through monochrome underpaintings before color is applied.34